Tag Archives: Royal Academy

EL ANATSUI │ October Gallery, London → 28 March 2015

Ghana, , , ,

“El Anatsui z wn v ɖ most xîtñ cntmprri vižl ātists v âr tîm. Imrjñ fṛm ɖ vîbṛnt pôst-indipndns ātmuvmnts v 1960z n ’70z West Africa, h hz gn on t rsiv wîdspred inṭnašnl aclem fr hiz sculpčṛl xperimnts wɖ mīdia, fwm n tṛdišn. Octobr Gaḷri hz bn wrcñ clôsli wɖ El Anatsui sns 1993.

Ʈrt a dstnĝst forti-yir c̣rir az bʈ sculptr n tīčr – az Pṛfesr v Sculpčr n Dīpātmntl Hed at ɖ Ynivrṣti v Nîjiria, Nsca – El Anatsui hz adrst a vast renj v sošl, ṗlitcl n historicl cnsrnz, n imbrest an īqli dvrs renj v mīdia n prôsesz. Mcñ ys v tūlz az dvrs az čênswz, weldñtwčz n pârtūlz, az wel az dveḷpñ a renj v prôsesz sč az ɖ intric̣t n medittv sowñ prôses v hiz lêtr wrc, h hz šêpt fând mtirı̣lz ɖt renj fṛm casava grêtrz, rêlwêslīprz, driftwŭd, ayņêlz n običri printñplêts, aḷmiňm botltops, ets. t criet a wîd vrayti v novl sculpčṛl fwmz. El Anatsui’z îconic botltop insṭlešnz hv pṛvoct a frenzi v inṭnašnl atnšn btwn 2002 n ɖ preznt, wɖ instityšnz qwñ t aqîr ɖz mezṃrîzñ wrcs. Crietd fṛm mni ʈâzndz v aḷmiňm botltops wîrd tgɖr wɖ copr, ɖz magnifisnt wōlsculpčrz cntiny t xît n amez ōdı̣nsz ẇrvr ɖe r xibitd. Hiz sculpčrz hv bn c̣lctd bî mêjr inṭnašnl myziymz, includñ ɖ Britiš Myziym, Lundn, ɖ Sẽtra Põpidu, Paris, ɖ D’Yuñ Myziym, San Fṛnsisco, ɖ Smiʈsôňn Instityšn, Wošñtn, ɖ myziym Cnst Palast, Düsldwf, n mni uɖr prestijs instityšnz bsdz.

Strained Roots (detail), 2014. Aluminium and copper wire, size variable. Photo: Jonathan Greet
Strained Roots (detail), 2014. Aluminium and copper wire, size variable. Photo: Jonathan Greet

Wn v El Anatsui’z šimrñ botltop wōlhaññz, Freš n Fêdñ Memriz (2007), cōzd a qayt sensešn ẇn, jrñ ɖ 2007 Venis Bienāle, it trnsfwmd ɖ historic Palatso Fwtūni ẇn drêpt upn its âtr fsād. At ɖ Dbî Ātfer, 2010, Octobr Gaḷri prizntd anɖr lj-scêl mastrpìs – In ɖ Wrld, bt D’nt nô ɖ Wrld (2009) – t grt aclem, n ɖ wrcs hv cntinyd t xpand in sîz, v lêt, n hv bn yzd t adwn ɖ âtsd wōlz v verı̣s myziymz n gaḷriz arnd ɖ wrld. Ɖz ljr xtrnl insṭlešnz includ: Ôzônleyr n Yam̦and on ɖ Old Našnl Gaḷri v Brlin (2010), Brôcn Brij I, on ɖ Mze Gałera, Paris (2012), Brôcn Brij II on ɖ Hî Lîn, Ny Ywc, (2012/13) n TSIATSIA – srčñ fr cnẋn (2013), El Anatsui’z ljst botl-top wrc t dêt. Ɖs šimrñ taṗstri v lît imbelišt ɖ fsād v ɖ Royl Acaḍmi v Āts, Lundn, jrñ its 245ʈ Suṃrexibišn.

In an inṭvy wɖ Octobr Gaḷri, El Anatsui nôtd, Ɖ amezñ ʈñ abt wrcñ wɖ ɖz mtalic ‘fabrics’ z ɖt ɖ poṿti v ɖ mtirı̣lz yzd in no we pricludz ɖ telñ v rič n wundrfl stwriz.”

AG+BA (detail), 2014. Aluminium, copper wire and nylon string, size variable. Photo: Jonathan Greet
AG+BA (detail), 2014. Aluminium, copper wire and nylon string,
size variable. Photo: Jonathan Greet

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GEGO: LINE AS OBJECT │ Henry Moore Institute, Leeds → 19 October 2014

Provenance: South America, Venezuela, , , , ,
SEVN ÎĊSĪDÔDEĊHĪDṚNZ │ c. 1977 │ Stīlwîr │ Fôto: Jeri Hādmn-Jônz
Left t rît: SFIR NU. 8 │ c. 1977 │ Stīlwîr n ayn līdrslīvz ││ CWNIS II, NU. 88/37 │ c. 1988 │ Stīl, led n plastc ││ SEVN ÎĊSĪDÔDEĊHĪDṚNZ │ c. 1977 │ Stīlwîr ││ Fôto: Jeri Hādmn-Jônz
SFIR NU. 5 │ c. 1977 │ Stīlwîr wɖ metlclasps │ Fôto: Jeri Hādmn-Jônz
Top t botm: SFIR NU. 7 │ 1977 │ Stênlștīlwîr ││ SFIR NU. 8 │ 1977 │ Stīlwîr n ayn līdrslīvz ││ UNTÎTLD │ c. 1977 │ Stīl n metl ││ Fôto: Jeri Hādmn-Jônz
Fwgrând: RTICŬLĀRIA │ 1975 │ Stênlștīlwîr ││ Bacgrând: VÎBRÊŠN IN BLAC │ 1957 │ Pentd ałmiňm ││ Fôto: Jeri Hādmn-Jônz
SML ANIMLZ │ 1987-9 │ Fôto: Jeri Hādmn-Jônz
Fwgrând: TRUNC NU. 5 │ 1976 │ Stênlștīlwîr ││ Bacgrând: UNTÎTLD │ 1980 │ Wōtrculr on pêpr ││ Fôto: Jeri Hādmn-Jônz
Left: UNTÎTLD │ 1931 │ Wōtrculr on pêpr ││ Rît: UNTÎTLD │ c. 1974 │ Stīlwîr n metlclasps, asembld ││ Fôto: Jeri Hādmn-Jônz

“Fṛm Jlî t Octobr for v ɖ Henri Mor Instityt’s gaḷriz r dedicetd t ɖ wrc v Gego (1912-94), an ātist hu fêʈfli xplord ɖ psbltz v ɖ lîn az an objct. Gego wz born Grtrud Goldšmit in Hambrg, 1912, n emigreted t C̣rac̣s in 1939 imījtli aftr finišñ hr ācitcčṛl studiz in Štŭtgāt. In Veṇzwela š bgan wrcñ az an ātist in ɖ 1950z, n bcem a sitizn in 1952.

Fr fîv decedz Gego xpandd ɖ lîn intu pleinz, volymz n xpansv nets t rflct on ɖ nêčr v pspšn. GEGO: LÎN AZ OBJCT invstigets ɖ ātist’s unrîvld ingejmnt wɖ ɖ probḷmz v fwm n spês, yzñ lît, šado, scêl n gravti in a constnt prôses v dscuvri. Ɖs frst YC sôlo prezntešn v Gego undrlînz hr vižnri aproč t sculpčr, a trminoḷji ɖt š rfyzd t yz fr hr ôn wrc. In wn v hr nôtbcs š xclemd: Sculpčr, ʈrīdimnšnl fwmz v solid mtirı̣l. Nvr ẇt I d! Sculpčr z cnsrnd wɖ weit, scêl, gravti, lît, spês n incântr: trmz imbodid bî Gego’z studi v ɖ lîn az objct. Hir at ɖ Henri Mor Instityt, a sentr fr ɖ studi v sculpčr, hr wrc z clemd fr sculpčr. Gego’z sculpčrz or, az š prifŕd t cwl ɖm, bichos drctli adres ɖ fnoṃṇlojicl incântr wɖ sculpčr.

Ɖ ṣlẋn v wrcs in GEGO: LÎN AZ OBJCT spanz a ʈrtīfor-yir pirı̣d. It bginz in 1957, ẇn Gego xplisitli bgan t adres sculpčṛl ʈncñ wɖ ɖ wrc Vîbrešn in Blac. Ɖs twso-sîzd cntinys fwm v pêntd blac ałmiňm hañz fṛm ɖ sīlñ, jentli rspondñ t ermuvmnt n spredñ its volym ʈru šadoz. Ɖ lêtist wrcs r fṛm 1991, ẇn Gego consntretd on hr Tedejuras:  inṭlest pêprstrips ɖt cmbînd rīpṛduẋnz v hr ôn wrcs wɖ pêjz fṛm maġzīnz n gold siġretrápñz. Btwn ɖz tu pýnts Gego md lj-scêl nets, coḷmz n sfirz ɖt fild gaḷrīspêsz, az wel az wōtrculrz, ñcdrōñz, prints n liʈgrafs xplorñ ɖ lîn in spês, handsîzd sculpčrz md fṛm mtirı̣l fând in hr stydio n sculpčrz ɖt strečt btwn ɖ bildñz in hr hômsiti v C̣rac̣s.

Gego wz intrestd in ɖ limitls psbltiz v grôʈ v ɖ lîn. Ɖ Gego Fândešn in C̣rac̣s, ẇr rsrč fr ɖs xibišn wz cnductd, holdz ɖ ātist’s bcc̣lẋn ɖt includz an aṇtetd copi v D’Āsi Wentẉʈ Tomsn’z On Grôʈ n Fwm (1917), a bc ɖt hz lojd itslf wɖn ɖ conšsṇs v twentiiʈ-senčri sculpčr n ɖt z ɖ subjct v âr cncuṛnt Gaḷri 4 xibišn.”

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